Habits create eating disorders and excess weight
In the pages and posts of this website, you will learn why we sometimes do things that are bad for us, that we know are bad for us, that make us feel bad—and yet we do them anyway! I will explain the cognitive (thinking) and behavioral habits that get in the way of achieving our goals, help you figure out which are getting in your way, and show you how to get a handle on those habits.
Do you struggle with an eating disorder or overweight?
If you do, you will find this site particularly helpful. For more than 40 years, I have helped individuals shape their thinking and behavior to achieve healthier weights and gain the upper hand on the thoughts and beliefs that made them sick. I have worked in research settings, designed commercial programs, and worked with patients to enhance their lives and find joy in the simple act of striving for better.
You can read more about me and my work on the About Me page as well as my Amazon Author page. But I think the two most important personal things you need to know if you are to trust my guidance are these:
- I rely on good science to develop the guidance I offer readers and patients. In my opinion it is wrong for “experts,” whether licensed or self-proclaimed, to promote changes based only on their own personal experience. What works for me, or your cousin’s neighbor’s best friend, does not necessarily work for anyone else. That is what science is for—to run the studies that control for our individual differences and draw conclusions based on the evidence.
- The ability to help people find joy in life is something I am grateful for every day. The research and program design work I have done was intellectually stimulating and a ton of fun. However, clinical therapy and writing provide not only intellectual stimulation but deep-down emotional satisfaction. They give me the opportunity to bring my knowledge and skills to people who can imagine a better life for themselves but need help to make it happen.
Here you will find …
… a safe space to explore the ins and outs of getting a handle on your behaviors. On the Obesity page is an explanation of what the terms ‘overweight’ and ‘obesity’ actually mean, a discussion of the forces that shape body weight, and the three must-do’s that I call the Foundation of Weight Management. The Eating Disorders page explains the forms that eating disorders can take (the most common being Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder) and helps you understand how they are connected.
There is a limit to how much help you can get from any website and the internet can just as easily lead you to great advice and to the opposite of great advice. If you search Amazon for self-help books, there are so many that even Amazon gets tired of counting—go ahead and type “self help” into their search bar. It generates over 70,000 results! Hence, I have included Good Reads & Resources to link you to books and services that expand on what can be offered here. Every book and every link on that page points to a book or organization that I know is grounded is science and compassion.
Blog posts are all about the myriad of issues that arise when you are trying to reshape your thoughts and behavior to enhance your life. My goal is to post a new blog roughly once or twice per month. However, sometimes if something in the news, a reader comment, or my clinical work inspires me, I will post more frequently than that. Also sometimes, my life (like everyone’s) goes into hyper-drive and I will miss a month or two. If you would like to be alerted when a new blog is posted, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Amazon. If you like what you find here, please share it on your social media accounts!
Bookmark this page (brendalwolfe.com) and check in when you need to catch your breath. Some of my posts will be useful to you in the moment, others will be useful down the road. Some will simply be entertaining, and others will hit the nail on the head for you. My goal is to offer you a little bit of sanity in a sometimes crazy world.
I welcome questions—about anything—so feel free to Contact Me.
While there are no magical solutions, there is a long history of good science and deep thinking to guide you.
Brenda L. Wolfe, Ph.D.